Extreme cold polar temps descended south over the weekend to bring subzero temperatures and dangerously cold windchills across the Midwest including North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and of course Minnesota -- home base to the SWIFT Weather operations.

We Minnesotans are used to cold weather, but this is one for the recordbooks. As a whole, this winter has been the coldest in decades with several weeks of subzero temperatures.

We woke this morning with temperatures at -18 degrees Farhenheit near Minneapolis and Wind Chill values around -45 degrees. That number is to expected to drop further overnight to -21 degrees F and almost -50 Wind Chill. And Minneapolis isn't the coldest part of the state by a long shot. The further north you go, the colder it gets.

Stay warm and plan ahead if you need to travel anywhere. Stock up on winter gear -- after Christmas is a good time to get deep discounts on winter apparel.